Ladder



0. M. KlRLlN LADDER Aug. 16, 1938.

Filed July 28, 1936 [nuenior Oil/h Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFIE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to portable ladders, and its principal object is toprovide a ladder in which the main parts are of tubular metalconstruction, thereby forming a ladder which is of great strength havingregard to its light weight and of such durable construction as to beable to withstand the rough usage to which such articles are subjected.

Another object of my invention is to provide resilient members upen theupper and lower extremities of the ladder, said members being adapted torest against floors and walls of wood and, other smooth materials whichare liable to be damaged by ordinary ladders and upon which such laddersare liable to slip.

A further object of my said invention is to provide retractable safetyspikes upon the upper and lower ends of the ladder, the said spikes,when in use, being adapted to rest upon rough or uneven surfaces andbeing adjustable in the amount of their projection so as to level up theladder and cause it to be firmly supported without vibrating orslipping.

With these and other objects in View, I will now describe a preferredembodiment of my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing,in which- Figure 1 is a. fragmentary perspective view showing the upperend of the ladder.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the lower end of the same.

Figure 3 is an elevation showing one form of the retractable safetyspike together with the housing for supporting the same upon the siderails of the ladder.

Figure 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the spike together with the spring bywhich it is held in the various positions of adjustment.

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating the resilient end membertogether with the metal holders by which it is retained in the ends ofthe side rails, and

Figure 7 is a transverse section of the same taken upon the center line.

Like characters designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews.

I designates the side rails of hollow rectangular cross section formedfrom solid-drawn steel tube or from flat plates bent up and welded. 2are the rungs of triangular tube construction having their ends flangedoutwardly to provide lugs 2| which are secured to the opposed innerfaces of the rails by bolts or rivets as at 22, or

alternatively by welding. The rungs are positioned with one flat side atthe top so as to provide a safer and more comfortable surface for thefeet of the user than is the case with round rungs commonly employed.

Upon the ends of the side rails l are resilient end members or feet ll.The said members, of rubber or other resilient material, are partiallyenclosed upon their sides, ends and top surfaces by members I2, of metalor other suitable material, the said members being provided with centraldepressions I3 adapted to engage similar depressions M in the side railsand so retain the respective parts in their assembled positions withinthe rails as shown in Figures 6 and '7.

Upon the lower ends of the ladder are the spikes 3 which, as shown indetail in Figures 3, 4 and 5, are slidably mounted in housings 4, thesaid housings being bent up from sheet metal so as to provide flanges 4|by which they are secured to the inner surfaces of the rails by anysuitable means such as the screws 42. The spaces for receiving thespikes are closed at the back of the housings by longitudinal plates 43secured in position by welding as indicated at 44. The spikes 3 areprovided with pointed ends 3| and with handles 32 of flat constructionconnected to the spikes by cylindrical shanks 33 which are securedwithin holes in the spikes by riveting or other means. In the housings 4are slots 45 in which the shanks 33 are slidable longitudinally, therebeing provided a plurality of notches 46 in which the shanks may bereceived so as to hold the spikes firmly in various positions accordingto the amount of projection necessary to level up the ladder. Withincavities 34 of the spikes are the curved fiat springs 35 which serve toretain the spikes rotatively in the free or slidable positions, asrequired. In Figure 4, in which the spike is shown in full lines in thelocked position, the spring 35 as shown rests in the cavity formed bythe side wall of the housing 4 and the back plate 43. When, however, thehandle 32 is moved into the position shown in broken lines in Figure 4so as to remove the shank 33 from its co-acting notch 46, the springimpinges upon the inner surface of the back plate with considerablepressure, so that its accidental movement in this direction is renderedimpossible.

At the upper end of the side rails are spikes 5 adjustably held inhousings 6, the construction being similar to that described withreference to the spikes 3, with the exception that the spikes 5 are ofsmaller dimensions and project horizontally instead of downwardly.

It will be observed from the foregoing description and by reference tothe drawing that I have provided a ladder of light and Simpleconstruction having resilient ends adapted to protect the floors, Wallsand other supporting surfaces from injury and make slipping of theladder impossible. It will be seen further that, for conditions wherespikes are desirable, I have provided a spike the projection of whichmay be varied for the purpose of levelling p the ladder. My improvedspike may also be retracted into its protecting housing, a constructionwhich obviates the danger and inconvenience of the permanentlyprojecting spikes such as are sometimes employed, the sharp contactingpoints of which are productive of damage to person or property.

It will be observed that by flattening the handle 32, as shown moreparticularly in Figure 4, the assembly of the device is facilitated,since the shank 32 may first be riveted into the spike 3 and the spikethen placed in position within the housing, the said handle passingthrough the slot 45. The assembly is then completed by welding inposition the back plate 4-3.

While I have herein described and illustrated a preferred embodiment ofmy invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to whichthe same relates that I may modify the same in various Ways to suit anyparticular requirements without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination, with ahousing formed from a strip of sheet metal bent longitudinally to form aU- shaped cavity having laterally extending flanges adapted to besecured to the side rail of a ladder, of a cylindrical spike memberslidably held in said cavity and provided with a laterally projectingshank, a longitudinal slot in said housing within which said shankslides, a plurality of notches in communication with said slot spacedtherealong and adapted to selectively receive said shank, a recess insaid spike, and a spring secured within said recess and frictionallyengaging the inner surface of said cavity to prevent rotation of saidspike.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination, with ahousing formed from a strip of sheet metal bent longitudinally to form aU- shaped cavity having laterally extending flanges adapted to besecured to the side rail of a ladder, of a flat closure member securedto the legs of the U and in alignment with said flanges, a cylindricalspike member slidably held in said cavity and provided with a laterallyprojecting shank, a longitudinal slot in said housing Within which saidshank slides, a plurality of notches in communication with said slotspaced therealong and adapted to selectively receive said shank, arecess in said spike, and a spring secured within said recess andfrictionally engaging the inner surface of said closure member toprevent rotation of said spike.

' OTIS M. KIRLIN.

